Twixy Shortbread Bars: An Exercise in Restraint

I love to eat a Twix bar when I am rolling my cart through Joann Fabrics. It is the intersection of a sweet treat and a sweet trip. 

So when I saw a recipe for a Twixy Shortbread Bar in Better Homes and Garden magazine, I had to try it. I have been thinking about this recipe for months and I finally tried it this week.

It is really a chocolate truffle on caramel on shortbread. Delicious but almost too decadent. The recipe makes an entire 13 x 9 pan and unlike most cookies, you really can't eat more than one or two. I've been handing them out to the neighbors saying, "Pace Yourself."

I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips and that makes a huge difference in the quality of the dessert. I recommend this cookie, but I also hesitate to call it a cookie. It is an exercise in restraint. Enjoy!

#betterhomesandgarden #bhg #finddelight #cookiemonster #recipe #luckyneighbors #shortbread #twix #cookies

Royal Wedding: Celebrating Harry, Meghan & Windsor Castle

How could I be so lucky? I am in a new neighborhood and some ladies on another street put together a Royal Wedding viewing party. It was festive, fabulous and I met some terrific women. When Prince William & Kate married in 2011, I had my family over for a party at 4 am. Remember my Royal Brunch?

The invite to this party suggested wedding attire and a facinator of your choice. I accepted the challenge and made mine out of a sheet music, burlap roses and leaves (Hobby Lobby), pleated brown silk ribbon and a Steampunk-esque metal/crystal brooch attached to a headband with duct tape and luck. 

The group went all out for this British buffet, including authentic sausage rolls from a shop called The British Pantry in Redmond, WA. How have I not heard of this place before? I was told that it is a pub and a gift shop. I'm hoping that they sell mugs to commemorate the marriage. Stay tuned.

I brought a jar of homemade lemon curd and a plate of mini scones and brown sugar shortbread. They were a welcome addition to the party.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

3 T. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

3/4 t. vanilla

Combine flour all ingredients in a food processor (fit with a blade) and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling to itself. On a clean surface, form the mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. Roll onto a lightly floured surface (I love this baking mat) into a 8 x 6 inch rectangle. Cut dough into strips and place on ungreased cookie sheet (using parchment paper on your cookie sheet is okay). Bake at 325 degrees  for 20 min or until just beginning to brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy alone or with lemon curd. 

Did you know that I've been to Windsor Castle? We went specifically to see Queen Mary's dollhouse. Cameras were not allowed inside, but my memory of that visit is vivid. Grand canopied beds, intricate wallpaper, tiny exquisite paintings - all created by craftspeople in the 1920's. The link includes a video of the dollhouse; I highly recommend viewing it.

One of the neatest things I photographed outside of Windsor Castle was this wall that shows how men were able to shoot arrows out of the fortress to protect the monarchy. Simple and ingenious. 

This Royal Wedding was everything I could hoped it would be. I found some kindred spirits, had a chance to eat some favorite British fare and I witness every moment of this grand occasion. Best Wishes to the happy couple.





#royalwedding #royalwedding2018, #harryandmeghan #windsorcastle #england #shortbread #recipes #britishfood #britishrecipes #royalfamily #royalcouple  

Orange Curd with Shortbread Dipping Sticks

I have decided to promote a tangy orange recipe today.  It is cold and gray in Michigan and I can't wait until March for citrus (because that is when every issue of every magazine we love seems to trumpet oranges, lemons and limes), I want it now!  

Somehow the idea of Orange Curd with Shortbread Dipping Sticks came to my mind.  I could actually see it in my mind and thought it would look beautiful and taste refreshing. I was right. It's rich and bright and fun.  It definitely livens up the umpteenth cup of tea we've all had by February.  This photo above of my success looks pretty close to my imagination. Yum.

Orange Curd

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup orange juice
pinch of salt

For fun, I added a splash of Vahine's Orange Blossom Essence. 
I had purchased a beautiful blue bottle of it in Paris and couldn't resist. Magnifique!

I am keeping the Orange Curd in the refrigerator in my Pillivuyt jam pot (featuring blueberries) that I bought on my first trip to a brick and mortar Dean & Deluca store.  That is my kind of souvenir.  It's the same with the Vahine essence. Items all over my kitchen remind me of my travels.

I made my Shortbread Sticks with Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa shortbread recipe.  I used a knife to cut the dough into rows of clothes pin-size sticks and baked them on parchment lined cookie sheets for 15-20 minutes (watch them so that they don't brown too quickly.)

Allow them to cool and then dip away!

Sort of Shortbread

So pretty! Do you have a shortbread pan? I have only used mine a few times because I thought I could only use shortbread dough in it. But a little while ago, I found myself with extra cookie dough and needed something to bake it in. The recipe wasn't shortbread, but it was a sturdy dough and I thought, why not?

I can now attest that a shortbread pan (especially a non-stick one) works great with other doughs, so live a little! Dig your shortbread pan out of the basement and give it a try the next time you have some extra dough. This recipe is Wilton's Cookies-on-a-Stick and it worked like a charm - I love how each square shows an herb or fruit.

When someone walks in the kitchen and says, "Oh, you made shortbread!", just answer, "Sort of."